THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS aim to improve conditions and prospects for youth in Europe. Within the last decade, we have made grants of more than €150 million to a number of projects in Central and Eastern Europe.

Now, we are calling upon civil society organisations, local activists and public authorities to submit project proposals that can serve as examples of how to improve educational and employment opportunities for young people in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

We are calling for proposals focusing on:1. Development of the vocational education and training (VET) system through work-based learning, improved contact between schools and companies, career guidance for youth, training for teachers, establishing model iVET institutions or similar.

2. Labour market integration of unemployed youth with no formal education through job training, scholarship programmes, social entrepreneurship, and more.We support innovative and experimental approaches as well as approaches that have had successful results elsewhere. Proposals must have potential for positive systemic change. Project proposing standard patterns normally financed from EU Structural Funds or other dedicated external sources will not be considered.

All costs relevant for the project are eligible, except VAT. Costs related to the infrastructure investments proposed within projects are also eligible. Applicants such as public authorities (schools, municipalities, ministries, etc) are required to co-finance 50% of eligible costs. No co-funding for eligible costs is required for civil society organisations.

Grants within 300,000-1,000,000 euró are given.

Applicants must be submitted through our website no later than June 15, 2017.The results of the call will be announced not later than December 2017.